Apparatus for treating liquors.



J. SBITZ. APPARATUS FOR TREATIN G LIQUORS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1908.

961, 1 6'7, Patented June 14,1910.

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JOHN SEITZ,

OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING LIQUORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14, 1910.

Application filed November 2, .1908. :Serial .No. 460,627.

To all whom it may concern:

Treating Liquors; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for aging liquors of that class set forth in my prior applications for patents for apparatus for aging liquors, filed Sept. 21, 1907, Serial No. 398,961, and filed July 13th, 1908, Serial No. 443,377.

The object of the present invention is to subject a liquor to be treated or aged simul taneously to the action of certain gases and at the same time to subject the liquor to the action of an electrical current.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a device in which telescoping or otherwise adjustable members are provided for delivering the electric current to the liquor to be treated so that the intensity of the currentmay be controlled in different strata of the liquor and also to provide independently adjustable positive and negative conductors.

It is a further object of my invention to provide adjustable means for delivering gases into the liquor so that the gases may be injected at any depth of the liquor namely, below, above, or on the same plane as the inner ends of the conductors.

It is further an object of the invention to provide an exceedingly simple mechanism for the purpose specified constructed of such material as permits of ready sterilization and capable of being quickly dis-assembled for the purpose of cleaning or repair.

It is also an important object of this invention to provide a device of the class described by the use of which electrically and thermally produced convections are set up in the liquor treated causing a continuous molecular agitation and displacement which, together with the more or less thermal efl'ect materially affects the aging process.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a device which precipitates certain matter held in suspension in the liquor,

Be it known that I, J OHN SErrz, a citizen Z of the United States, and a resident of the; city of Chicago, in the county of Cook .and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for i which clarifies the liquor and improves the flavor.

It is finally an object of the invention to aflord .a device ofthe classdescribed adapted for use with any suitable source of electrical energy and to utilize any preferred gas or gases including atmospheric air in the treatment.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and more fully pointed out-and defined in theappended claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a central, vertical, longitudinal section of a cask of liquor showing the apparatus secured in place therein and ready for operation. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of 1* 1g. 2.

As shown in the drawings: A, indicates the cask to contain the liquor to be treated, and which, of course, may be any cask, vat, receptacle or other commercial device for holding liquor. The apparatus when used with a cask or barrel as shown, is inserted through the bung hole thereof. A tapered bung B, of hard rubber or other suitable material is provided, which is adapted to fit somewhat loosely in the bung hole of a barrel and is provided at its top with a peripheral flange 6, on which the same is supported on the barrel. Extending upwardly from the center of the bung is an integral, tubular stem 6, provided at its upper end with a set screw 6 adapted to ,adjustably engage therein a tube b of hard rubber, which, as shown in Fig. 1, is of a length to extend outwardly above and inwardly to the bottom of the barrel when approximately fully telescoped in said outer stem 5. A hose 6*, for connection with a source of air pressure, is secured on the outer end of the tube 6 Threaded diagonally in the bung B, and on opposite sides of the pipe 6 are sleeves C-G, each of which extends outwardly beyond the top of the bung and is provided at its outer end with a set screw 0, as shown in Fig. 2. Adjustably and telescopingly engaged in each tube CG', by means of the set screws are insulating tubes 0, of hard rubber or other suitable material, which is not affected by the liquor or gases, in each of which is contained a conducting wire 0 which, at the inner end of the insulating shell or tube 0, extends considerably beyond the same, and is of sufficient length to extend across and connect with the conductor from the other tube. Said leads at the outer ends of the tubes 0, are adapted to be connected with a suitable source of current whereby an electrical current may be sent through the contents of the barrel from one conductor to the other either with or without a positive metallic connection between the inner ends of said conductors.

The operation is as follows: In inserting the device for operation the tubes 0, are telescoped or slid outwardly to permit placing the bung in the bung aperture of the barrel after which said tubes are adjusted inwardly the desired distance. By the construction shown, the tubes are independently adjustable so that each may be adjusted for its end to lie in any strata of the liquor from the bottom of the barrel to the top and the intensity of the current may thus be varied in any part of the liquor. Attention is also courteously directed to the fact that owing to the angular position of the tubes (which, of course may be varied) a large volume of the liquor is treated with the same density of current. This is obvious, as the terminals are the maximum distance from each other. The air or gas pipe may be adjusted to deliver the gases at the desired depth in the liquor. In operation, the current passes from one of the conductors to the other through the liquid, using both the liquid and the wire as the conductor, or, if the wire between the inner terminals is omitted, the liquid alone is used as the conductor. The fine wire conductor afiords considerable resistance to the current, thus permitting a considerable portion of the current to pass through the liquid, and if a current sufliciently strong were used, it would tend to heat the wire conductor and thus affect the liquor through the convection thus set up, both by the increased temperature of the wire and by the electrical action of the liquor itself. The convective action causes molecular agitation and displacement, and owing to this agitation and breaking up of the molecules, the aging process is greatly facilitated and. further minute atoms of matter held in suspension are precipitated with the result that the liquor is clarified and the quality improved. While this is taking place, atmospheric air, oxygen, ozone, or other gas is forced into the liquid, either above or below the path of the electrical current, thus greatly agitating and aerating the liquor and subjecting the same to an oxidizin action which, together with the electrica action before referred to, materially changes the character of the liquor, producing the same effect that has usually been thought to necessitate years of time to accomplish, or in other words, aging.

All parts of the device are chemically inert to any of the gases or ingredients contained within the liquor to be treated which also can receive no injurious effect therefrom through the contamination of the liquor in the slightest degree and furthermore, being constructed to permit the same to be readily dis-assembled for cleansing or repair, and the material adapted to be easily sterilized by boiling, the utmost cleanliness is assured.

Many details of construction may be varied, and the adjustability may be varied in numerous ways. I therefore do not purpose to limit this application for patent otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a liquor treating apparatus a bung, a plurality of sleeves threaded therein, a tube adjustably secured to one of the sleeves, insulated conductors adjustably secured to the other sleeves and said conductors exposed at their inner ends.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with an electrically non-con ducting bung, adapted to fit loosely in the bung aperture of a barrel or cask, of a peripheral projection adapted to station the same upon the cask, obliquely directed apertures opposite one from the other and extending through the bung, non-conducting sleeves in said apertures, non-conducting tubes extending through said sleeves and adjustably engaged therein, electrical conductors therein, at their outer ends adapted for connection with a source of electrical current, at their inner ends projecting into the liquor, and an air pipe opening through said bung to the bottom of the liquor to be treated.

8. In a device of the class described a supporting member, negative and positive conductors adapted to slide through the member to vary the distance they extend into the liquor, an exposed conductor of high resistance connecting the ends of the negative and positive conductors, and means for delivering a gas under pressure into the liquid.

4. In a device of the class described, a bung, sleeves secured thereto, insulated conductors adjustable through the sleeves, said conductors exposed at their inner ends, means securing the conductors in any adjustment, a tube adjustable through a sleeve, and means connected therewith and with a source of gas pressure.

5. In a liquor treating device, a support, sleeves secured thereto, adjustable insulated conductors extending through said sleeves and exposed at their inner ends, means secured to the sleeves for securing the conductors in any adjustment, an exposed conductor of high resistance connected to the exposed inner ends of the aforesaid conductors, a sleeve secured to said support, an adjustable gas tube extending therethrough and means secured to the sleeve for holding the tube in any adjustment.

6. In a liquor treating device, a supporting member, a plurality of sleeves secured thereto, a tube adjustable through each sleeve, one of said tubes adapted to conduct a gas into the liquor being treated, conducting wires insulated in the other tubes 10 and extending beyond the tubes into the liquor and independent means for securing each tube to its respective sleeve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN SEITZ.

Witnesses CHARLES W. HILLS, K. E. HANNAH. 

